Highlanders looking to build off of undefeated start

Expectations are high again for Huntington, after a 5-0 start to the year.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va — Expectations over the years have always been elevated in Huntington, and this year is no different – especially with a recent No. 2 ranking in the AP poll out of Class AAA, to go along with No. 9 ranking in the first week of the MetroNews Power Index. Even though his team is off to a fast start, winning its first five games, head coach Ron Hess still isn’t sure where his team stands in the early going.

“It feels like we’ve had a game, and then a week off, then another game, and a week off,” Hess said. “It’s been hard getting into a routine so far, so it’s hard to really tell us where we are right now.”

In the early season, the best win for Huntington (5-0) came against last year’s state runner-up, Beckley, to go along with blow out victories over Ripley and Princeton in the new year.

“We feel like we have a good team, but we don’t really know yet,” Hess said.”We got a win against Beckley and you always feel good when you beat a Beckley team.”

The Highlanders only lost two seniors from a team that finished 18-7 last year, eventually bowing out in the quarterfinals against state champion Martinsburg. They start three senors in the backcourt that logged big minutes last year in Nick Tubbs, Arick Nicks, and Chancelor Wooding.

“Nicks had a really good season for us last year, he’s tough he can go inside and he can also take you out and take you off the dribble,” he said. “Tubbs is a very good defensive basketball player and Wooding is a very good shooter, he’s improved his game a lot this year and he can do a little more than he did last year.”

Hess has a group of athletes that likes to run the court, and that has shown in the early going as his squad is putting up 74 points a night, while only surrendering 55.

“We’re an athletic team who likes to get up the floor a lot and put pressure on you defensively,” Hess said.

Hess, though, admits his group still can a little too aggressive at times.

“We have to run our half-court offense better, we haven’t done that a whole lot,” Hess said. “Sometimes we’re just to impatient and want to shoot the ball to early.”

The Highlanders have a couple of more big tests, starting this week as they take on George Washington and an undefeated Capital team – both on the road.